You’ve found the dream man, now it’s time to find the dream dress. Gone are the days of Aunt Betsy sewing you a gown on her Janome, inspired by a photograph you found in an American bridal magazine…puffy taffeta sleeves, anyone? Today, the options are endless and often completely daunting. As the Style Director of White Lily Couture, I’ve seen it all when it comes to finding the dream wedding dress – laughter, tears, breakdowns and shock. Although every bride is different when it comes to trying on wedding gowns, there are a few common cues that tell you you’ve found the ‘one’.
1. Cheers for Tears
You’d be surprised, but even the least emotional brides can tear up when they finally see themselves in their wedding gown. It’s that moment of realisation when a bride-to-be sees a dress change from being a beautiful item of clothing to proof that she is actually getting married! So, consider a little cry a good thing and enjoy the emotion that comes only from finding ‘the one’.
2. Can I sleep in it?
Whether you’ve tried three, 30 or 300 gowns, when you find your dress the chances are you won’t want to take it off! It’s a great sign that you have found ‘the one’ when you feel like the most beautiful, elegant, glamorous and flattered version of yourself. If you’d rather do the washing up and take out the garbage than have to take your dress off, it’s a done deal.
3. The One vs The Others
One sign that we see all the time is brides comparing every other gown they try to ‘the one’. Once you find it, nothing else matches up, no matter how many more dresses you try. This is particularly common for brides who find their gown very early in their search. So many of us assume that it will take weeks or even months to find your perfect wedding dress, but if you’ve been trying on gown after gown and they don’t feel the same as the one at your first appointment, it’s time to commit.
4. Picture Perfect
There’s nothing like picturing yourself walking down the aisle, but until you find the dress of your dreams, this is often more fantasy than reality. When you look in the mirror and you see the person starring back at you about to say their I-dos, it’s time to just say yes!
5. The X-Factor
Often brides visit us with a list of ‘must haves’ for their ultimate gown. Cap sleeves, low back, Chantilly lace, minimal beading, etc. etc. However, sometimes the dress that they get married in doesn’t qualify all the criteria. When it’s ‘the one’, all logic and checklists don’t mean that much anymore and the way it makes you feel becomes the deciding factor!
Written by Alera Kingham, the Style Director of White Lily Couture, Brisbane’s premiere bridal shopping destination with an exclusive collection of hand-picked gowns from around the world. For more expert advice, check out @whitelilycouture on Instagram and Facebook.
